If you think opposition to pipelines is driven mainly by concerns over climate change, you're wrong, according to a new study from the Canada West Foundation and University of Ottawa. Their report, released Thursday, involved six case studies of major energy projects across the country that found similarities among the local opposition each encountered, whether it was an oil pipeline, a hydro dam or a wind farm. "Our new research shows ... that the nature of this opposition, and the underlying concerns, are often not what opinion leaders and political decision-makers have assumed," the report reads. "Importantly, local opposition is not restricted to pipelines and oilsands, and it is often not about climate change." "One thing seems very clear: The world of elite, centralized decision-making without local engagement is fast becoming a thing of the past."

Source: CBC News November 24, 2016 16:07 UTC